FORT LAUDERDALE CAR INSURANCE ATTORNEY

Car insurance companies want to make as much money as they can from every insurance policy they issue. 

The simplest way for the insurance company to make money is to pay as little as possible on all insurance claims. This means the insurance company is incentivized to find reasons to deny a claim or pay out less than what the claim is actually worth.

Disputing facts is one of the main tactics that car insurance companies use to decrease claims payments. In a car accident, the insurance company can usually find numerous details of your claim to dispute.

The Value of Your Vehicle

When the insurance company covers the repairs to your vehicle, typically it will only cover an amount up to the “total value” of your car. The “total value” is defined as the value of your car given depreciation since you purchased it. 

This value is usually determined by comparing it to the Blue Book value of other similar vehicles. However, this may not always be an accurate way to determine the value of your vehicle.

For example, if your vehicle has significantly fewer miles on it than similar vehicles of the same age, you could dispute the value the insurance company has placed on it. Similarly, if you have recently replaced critical parts (like the transmission) with brand-new parts, your car might be worth more than expected. 

If you have kept good records of repairs, modifications, and maintenance, they can be used as evidence in a dispute over vehicle value.

The Condition of Your Vehicle Before the Accident

Another common area of dispute is the condition of your vehicle before the accident occurred. The insurance company will attempt to claim that certain damage or defects were present before the accident occurred. 

An accident inspector may try to get you to admit to prior damage while inspecting your vehicle. Before admitting to any prior damage, consult with car insurance claims disputes lawyers in Fort Lauderdale. If possible, make sure your attorney is present while the inspector from the insurance company is examining your vehicle.

Medical Treatment Needed

The insurance company isn’t your doctor, but sometimes it acts like your doctor. This is particularly true when it comes to paying for medical treatment. 

Many insurance companies will try to dictate what medical treatment you are eligible for based on the injuries you suffered, even if those treatments are not consistent with what a doctor prescribed.

This dispute can be difficult to fight because the insurance company has medical experts working for it who will claim that your injuries can be successfully treated with less-effective treatments or that your injuries aren’t as serious as your doctor has stated. 

Additionally, the insurance company might refuse to allow any treatment unless you are examined by a doctor it dictates or received treatment from a doctor it approves. These limitations could result in you getting ineffective treatment that doesn’t help you fully recover from your injuries.

Before letting any doctor examine you, consult with car insurance claims disputes lawyers in Fort Lauderdale from Morgan and Morgan. Your attorney will ensure that any evaluation or treatment you receive is from a doctor who will protect your interests, rather than the interests of the insurance company.

The Cost of Medical Treatment

Even when treatment is approved by the insurance company, it may dispute the cost of that treatment. Typically, insurance companies set a maximum value that they are willing to pay for specific services or treatments. And often, those maximum values don’t reflect the actual value that a doctor or hospital will charge you.

This is the kind of dispute that can cost you money out of pocket or even result in a doctor refusing to provide additional service. The former can be financially devastating, while the latter can have serious repercussions on your health. 

Your car insurance claims disputes attorney will fight to get you compensation for the full value of your medical services, regardless of what limits the insurance company tries to impose.

Your Preexisting Conditions

Just as the insurance company might claim that your car was damaged before the accident, it might also try to claim that some of your injuries existed before the accident. Typically, it will try to claim that some preexisting condition prevents you from getting compensation for medical treatment that was required after the accident. 

Your attorney from Morgan & Morgan has enough experience with car accident injuries to prove that your medical treatment was caused by the car accident, even if you have preexisting conditions that may have contributed to the injuries.

The best way to avoid a dispute with your insurance company is to not allow it to make any independent decisions about your insurance claim. 

Generally, the insurance company makes all of the decisions about an insurance claim with little to no input from other parties. When you have a car insurance claims disputes attorney representing you, that isn’t the case.

Your attorney will be involved in the process from the very beginning. The law firm of Morgan and Morgan uses professional investigators to collect evidence for every car accident case. 

Unlike the insurance company, our investigators are looking for evidence that supports your claims. We present this evidence to the insurance company before it makes any decisions.

Our attorneys are similarly engaged in every additional step of the process. We start negotiating for a fair settlement from day one, using every bit of evidence we can uncover to support your claims. If the insurance company is going to dispute a detail, we insist on seeing the evidence it intends to use, and we get ready to challenge it.

Critically, this approach prevents the insurance company from denying some portion of your claim or deciding to underpay your claim without input from your attorney. 

One of the main reasons that insurance companies get away with unfair decisions is that the claimant usually doesn’t know what’s happening until that decision is made. Then, they may try to appeal the dispute after it has already been decided in favor of the insurance company.

Florida is a no-fault state. This means that it doesn’t matter who is at fault in the accident. Your insurance company covers your injuries even if the other party is at fault. There are times when the fault will matter, but typically this is one detail that you won’t need to dispute with your insurance company.

At Morgan & Morgan, we would prefer to negotiate for a fair settlement before filing a lawsuit. You do have the right to file a lawsuit, and a lawsuit might result in higher compensation, but it will usually take a few years to complete. 

Since most victims of car accidents need money as quickly as possible, waiting for the results of a lawsuit can be financially devastating. However, if there’s no better option, or if you insist on filing a lawsuit, we will fight zealously for you at trial.

We can help you with your expenses while you are waiting for compensation from the insurance company. First, we will write a letter of intent to your creditors to let them know that you are involved in the claims process with an insurance company and that you will pay your debts as soon as you receive payment on your claim. 

Additionally, we can direct you to resources that exist to help people who are experiencing financial difficulty because of short-term disability. Feel free to speak to an attorney from Morgan and Morgan to get additional information if you need help.

When a claim has no disputes, it usually takes a few weeks to complete. However, when there are disputes, it typically takes a few months before you receive compensation. And if the claim goes to trial, you should expect to have to wait a year or more before you receive an award from the jury.

The insurance company is allowed to take a reasonable amount of time to complete the claims process, but it is not permitted to delay the process without reason. Despite this, many insurance companies will intentionally delay your claims process just to pressure you into accepting a lowball settlement offer or dropping your claim. 

If we have any reason to believe that the insurance company is illegally delaying your claim, we will take action immediately to stop that behavior or include it as an allegation in a lawsuit.

Morgan & Morgan has been handling car insurance claims disputes in Florida for over 35 years. Our experienced attorneys have negotiated thousands of claims and are familiar with all of the insurance companies that serve the state. 

Additionally, we aren’t afraid of going to trial and the insurance companies are aware of our reputation. As a result, most insurance companies would rather negotiate with us in good faith than risk spending thousands of dollars on a trial that they are likely to lose.

If you want to be represented by an experienced law firm with a strong reputation for success in your car accident claim, contact us right now to get a free case evaluation.